Help AguaClara Win a Katerva Award

AguaClara is honored to have been named a finalist for the 2012 Katerva award, and we will have the opportunity to also win a People's Choice award with your help. Voting for the People's Choice Award will be open January 14 - 29. See additional details from the excerpt of the press release below.

Katerva announces the 51 Finalists for the 2012 Katerva Award

51 new ideas that will change our world 

13 December 2012—The Katerva Award has been referred to as the Nobel Prize of Sustainability, highlighting the most innovative projects from around the world. 

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"To solve the complex sustainability challenges we face as stewards of our planet, will require innovative solutions across a wide range of disciplines and economic sectors. Katerva provides a much needed and novel forum for this to happen, as evidenced by the innovation and entrepreneurship embodied by this year's 51 Finalists for the Katerva Award," states Antonio  J. Busalacchi, Jr, Director of the Earth System Science Interdisciplinary Center (ESSIC) and Professor in the Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Science at the University of Maryland, USA. The Katerva Award Winner will be fostered through development stages by members of the Winner's Circle, a group of businesses and committed experts, with the aim of implementing the winning project for maximum impact. 

In a deliberation process which began in July, the Katerva nominees were submitted to rigorous process of examination by experts in each of Katerva's ten categories: Food Security, Behavioral Change, Economy, Ecosystem Conversion, Gender Equality, Materials & Resources, Human Development, Energy & Power, Transportation and Urban Design. The Katerva Award, now in its second year, draws upon a vast network of experts from science, business, academia and finance, and more.  Once a nominee has been submitted, the project is carefully screened for eligibility. Eligible, projects are then rated for viability, scalability and impact. Finalists are the top five projects from each of the ten categories. In 2012, there are 51 Finalists due to a tie in one of the categories. The Category Winners will be announced on 30 January 2013. Only one 

project will be the Katerva Award Winner, also announced 30 January 2013. 

This year the Katerva Award has a new feature: the People's Choice Award. All 50 finalists are eligible for the People's Choice Award. The public is invited to vote for the People's Choice Award from 14-29 January 2013 on the Katerva website, www.katerva.org.“Katerva is not just interested in 'good' ideas, the ideas we are after will create big changes in how we live on this planet,” said Katerva's founder, innovation guru Terry Waghorn. Founded in 2010, “Katerva's approach places emphasis squarely on action for a sustainable future—creating and implementing solutions to sustainability-related concerns,” he says. Katerva is the first truly open worldwide platform for change. 

Katerva comes from the Latin word caterva, meaning “crowd.” It's our belief that the wisdom of the crowd-- organized, holds the key to the world's most pressing challenges. 

For more information, see www.katerva.org or contact Barbara Erskine, barbara@katerva.org,
tel: +39 320 840 5805.

Turbidimeter Updates

Our partner, WASH4all, has been making progress on a do-it-yourself turbidimeter. Check out the most recent update (a handheld, Bluetooth-enabled unit). http://wash4all.org/wp/prototyping-a-portable-bluetooth-enabled-turbidimeter-unit/

National Academy of Engineering Recognizes AguaClara

The National Academy of Engineering released a report on November 13 titled Infusing Real World Experiences into Engineering Education. The report "showcases 29 engineering programs at colleges and universities across the United States that effectively incorporate real world experiences into their curriculum and highlights best practices for schools seeking to create new programs". CEE's AguaClara program is featured on page 32.

The following is an excerpt from the Preface written by Charles M. Vest, NAE President:

The aim of this report is to encourage enhanced richness and relevance of the undergraduate engineering education experience, and thus produce better-prepared and more globally competitive graduates, by providing practical guidance for incorporating real world experience in US engineering programs. 

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We are excited about the potential of this report to promote awareness and adoption of programs that incorporate real world experiences in engineering education. We believe the report will be useful to both academic and industry professionals interested in engaging and better preparing engineering students for the workplace and for competition in the global economy.

AguaClara was recognized as one of 29 programs that give students the skills to define the forefront of modern science. The hands-on, real world experience AguaClara students and partners have embarked on together has lead to the first feasible municipal-scale water treatment solutions for small communities, bringing clean water to tens of thousands of people who would not have had it before. We are producing the best critical thinkers, designers, and researchers. We are producing talent capable of challenging conventional engineering approaches to solving problems. Our alumni have the skills to change the face of industry.